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The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion – Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome’s legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King – the first such that Rome has had in centuries. And that not all of his opposition has been crushed.

Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of ‘Finder’ but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead – murdered -- on her doorstep. With four successive Triumphs for Caesar’s military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies -- to protect Caesar’s life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar’s, Gordianus agrees to help – but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end.

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*Starred Review* Gordianus the Finder is a marvelous example of a credible early-history sleuth—sophisticated, cagey, and loosely attached to the shifting power structure of Rome in the time of Caesar, Pompey, Cato, and Cicero. This latest in the Roma Sub Rosa series in which Gordianus stars is set just after the Roman civil war has ended, but with the nation-state still in uproar over murders, betrayals, and a calendar system out of sync with the seasons. Gordianus, now 64, has retired from his role of solving mysteries, big and small, for the powers-that-be. Then he receives a summons from Calpurnia, Caesar’s second wife, who says she fears for Caesar’s safety, especially since Caesar is totally distracted by the plans for four upcoming triumphs. Calpurnia shows Gordianus the murdered body of his friend Hieronymous (Hieronymous was the scapegoat portrayed in Last Seen in Massilia, 2000). This hook brings Gordianus into searching for the enemies of Caesar. Guided by Hieronymous’ journal, Gordianus plunges into the scary, fascinating world of Roman plots and betrayals. Saylor brings Roman history to vivid life in his series, filling his books with both the big picture of what happened and intriguing minutiae (for example, we learn here how Caesar fixed the calendar and how Romans divined the future from animal entrails). Fast-paced action, a deeply realized main character, and accessible history make this series first-rate on all fronts. --Connie Fletcher

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Another reviewer here opined that "The Triumph of Caesar" may be the best of Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder Ancient Roman "Sub Rosa" mystery novels. She might be right. At any rate, it is at least another strong entry in a strong series. Unlike so many mystery series that grow tired as the number of volumes grows, Saylor's Gordianus books remain compelling and they even get better.

The events at the end of the previous novel in the series, "The Judgment of Caesar", were sufficiently ambiguous that they could have signaled the end of Gordianus's career, but "The Triumph of Caesar" finds the detective back in Rome, in 46 BCE, on the eve of Julius Caesar's celebration of four triumphs to mark four recent military victories. But Caesar's defeat of his enemies on the battlefield has not meant the end of all of those who might wish him dead, and Gordianus finds himself drafted by Caesar's wife into attempting to uncover a possible conspiracy against the Dictator, a task Gordianus is willing to undertake because it has already cost the life of a friend.

Steven Saylor has a particular knack for creating vivid and realistic characters, even secondary and minor figures, who have the breath of life, and are not memorable only because they are quirky caricatures. Saylor seems to genuinely care about the fates of these characters (some of them are fictional creations, but others are drawn from historical sources) and he causes his readers to equally care. Although the world of Gordianus the Finder is often filled with sorrow, loss, and woe, Saylor unfailingly conveys a sense of fundamental humanity, where salvation and redemption are found in love and friendship. His "Sub Rosa" books are worth reading not only as good mysteries, but also as simply good novels.

This is the weakest entry by far in what was once an excellent series. Gordianus died in the last novel (or it sure seemed like it), and his resurrection in this new effort is woefully incomplete. He stumbles through the entire mystery, with other folks, or luck, supplying the partial discoveries required to advance the plot. He has essentially nothing to do with the final resolution either. Perhaps Steven Saylor is trying to hand the reins off to Gordianus's children, so the series can extend out to Octavian or so. At any rate, not at all the Finder we fell in love with.

I'm a huge Steven Saylor fan, and couldn't wait to read Triumph of Caesar. However, I am disappointed with this latest novel. Readers will miss seeing any examples of Gordianus' intelligence and personality. We know that Gordianus is aging, but this novel makes him seem almost doddering! He is never actively involved in the pursuit of this "mystery." He is just sort of wandering around Rome as clues appear; things happen around him, but he doesn't do anything. The plot is so much fluff...all omens and last minute "insights. Should I mention there is also an abundance of references to homosexuality? A little over the top this time around, Steven! Perhaps it's time for a new lead character!

This may be the best of the Gordianus mysteries. It is absolutely gripping. Intending to savor it over a couple of days at least, I read it in one sitting. Calpurnia, Caesar's wife, has been troubled by evil omens and asks--or rather, demands--that Gordianus find the person who is plotting against Caesar's life. Is saving Caesar's life a worthy project? Gordianus is not so sure, and in any case, he wishes to live a life of peace, so he refuses the commission. But the previous "detective" on the case, an old friend, has been killed, and Gordianus is drawn into seeking justice for the crime, and, in the process, finding out who, if anyone, is plotting against Caesar's life. In his investigation, he must meet and interview many historical figures--Cicero, Brutus, Cleopatra and her sister, Arsinoe, Antony, and Vercingetorix, the defeated leader of the Gauls. Remarkably, Saylor brings these figures vividly to life.

The novel is informed by a depth of compassion for human beings living in a brutal times that is rare in an historical mystery. It engages your emotions and makes you truly care about the characters. This is a truly special novel which works well as a mystery and also transcends the genre.

I should have realized this book would be a letdown. It arrives just a year after Saylor's wonderful (and lengthy) "Roma." Quickly returning to his successful Roma Sub Rosa series, he elects to have Gordianus spend his time interviewing, sometimes brilliantly, several of the Big Names in town for a set of public "triumphs" being held by Julius Caesar. But not all of these folk are registered at five star hotels. Some live in captivity, a few of those in degrading filth, and all are intended serve the Dictator as public victims, a tradition within the "triumph" genre. Gordianus' sessions with the doomed are especially compelling. So far, so good.

But the decision develop character allows no time to develop a complex plot. Caesar's wife Calpurnia believes her husband to lie in grave peril, a state from which only the Finder can rescue him. Receiving her daily directions, Gordianus trudges from interview to interview, inevitably asking himself if This could be The One, and always reminding us that it's never The One you think it is. Brutus? Nah ... Cleopatra? Too obvious, and yet it's never The One ... And on and on.

But if you haven't spotted The REAL One by page fifty you're not trying very hard. The motive is transparent, and the clues lie about like spilled tea leaves. Worst, the conclusion is so un-Gordianus as to leave us wondering if he really did die back there in Egypt. Or maybe just should have.

I loved this character and his entourage through many thoughtfully entertaining adventures. Thus isn't any of them.

More About the Author

Steven Saylor is the author of the ROMA SUB ROSA series of historical mysteries featuring Gordianus the Finder, set in the ancient Rome of Cicero, Caesar, and Cleopatra. The latest books in the series are two prequels--THE SEVEN WONDERS, which follows the 18-year-old Gordianus on his journey to the Seven Wonders of the World, and RAIDERS OF THE NILE, in which young Gordianus, living in Egypt, finds himself drawn into a plot to steal the golden sarcophagus of Alexander the Great.

To read the previous books of the ROMA SUB ROSA series in chronological order, begin with ROMAN BLOOD, then THE HOUSE OF THE VESTALS (short stories), A GLADIATOR DIES ONLY ONCE (short stories), ARMS OF NEMESIS , CATILINA'S RIDDLE, THE VENUS THROW, A MURDER ON THE APPIAN WAY, RUBICON, LAST SEEN IN MASSILIA, A MIST OF PROPHECIES, THE JUDGMENT OF CAESAR, and THE TRIUMPH OF CAESAR.

Steven is also the author of the international bestseller ROMA: THE NOVEL OF ANCIENT ROME and its follow-up, EMPIRE: THE NOVEL OF IMPERIAL ROME. These two epic novels comprise a multi-generational saga that spans the first 1200 years of the city, from Iron Age trading post to the height of the empire under Hadrian.

Outside the Roman books are two novels set in Steven's native Texas. A TWIST AT THE END is based on America's first recorded serial murders, which terrorized Austin, Texas in 1885. The chief protagonist is young Will Porter, who later became famous as O. Henry. HAVE YOU SEEN DAWN? is a contemporary thriller set in a small Texas town; Steven calls it "autobiography done with mirrors."

Three "chapbooks" published as e-books collect Steven's scattered essays and short stories: A BOOKISH BENT; FUTURE, PRESENT, PAST; and MY MOTHER'S GHOST: THREE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS & A SHORT STORY.

Steven's books have been published in 22 languages, and book tours have taken him across the United States, England, and Europe. He has appeared as an expert on Roman life on The History Channel, and has spoken at numerous college campuses, The Getty Villa, and the International Conference on the Ancient Novel.

Steven was born in Texas in 1956 and graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and Classics. He divides his time between homes in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas. When not using his brain, he likes to keep in shape running, swimming, and lifting weights.